Make it a Double!

Relaxing on the top of "Little Goat Mountain".

Over the weekend, I wanted to try some back country hiking so we headed up to Grouse with full intentions of making our way to Goat Mountain. The issue was that we figured we would do the Grind first. Unfortunately, that not only added some time to our day, it really pooped us out! Not to mention, we already had our fill of bug attacks. We were layered with both Off! & Watkins bug repellant, but it didn't stop them from pelting our skin or try and fly in our eyes, nose, ears or mouth. Yuck! Bug/mosquito netting wouldn't have been a bad idea. Black and deer flies continued to swarm us until we reached Little Goat Mountain - where we decided not to continue down through the valley. The sun would soon be setting and then we would be left to go back in the dark. Being it's bear and cougar country, I didn't really want that. So we stayed for about a half hour, had our lunch, then made our way back. On the way of our return, I slipped and fell into 2 inches of mud. Both my shoe and butt were covered - but it was nothing a change of clothes couldn't cure! The views and scenery were spectacular and we got some great photos as well. Coming back, the snow was melting rapidly. We found ourselves walking beside the pathway as it had turned into a creek. I think, next time we will be taking the skyride first and start our hike a few hours earlier. I would have loved to gone much further!

On Monday, I headed back up to Grouse to do the Grind with full intentions of doing a personal best. As I made it up the mountain, huffing and puffing, I didn't feel like I was going any quicker than I have in previous trips. I was giving it my "all" but felt totally drained and tired by the half way mark. With sweat pouring off me, I didn't really take much notice of anything else. Until I hear others groaning or panting... which oddly enough, was very comforting. When I finally reached the top, and made my way to the timer, I was thinking I either made the same time or worse. As I stood there in the Chalet waiting for my name show up on the hiker timer list, I see that I took four minutes off! Hooray! ...and I did it without passing out! Double hooray! I'm still slow as molasses when it comes to the others (1:14), but I'm getting there. ...and considering where I started from, I'm not doing too badly.

When I grabbed my bag from Guest Services, I didn't even change right away. I was much too tired. In fact, I couldn't get out of there quick enough. I headed towards the Skyride and waited for my trip down. When I got on, the sweat continued to drip off me and now I was freezing from the cool air blowing through the tram. When I got out, I sat and had my muffin and gulped back my bottle of water. Then I started to think, "How am I ever going to do a 'double' or 'multi' grinds?" I'm so wiped by the end of my first, I can't ever imagine doing any more. Then I started thinking back to what a friend mentioned to me last week when I said straight out, "I don't think I'm ready to do this 50k in a few weeks." His response was along the lines of, if I don't think I can ...then I won't. The mind is a powerful thing and is capable of pushing you beyond your limits when you don't think you have anything left to give. Of course, I already know this but I also know I really needed that reminder. So, I put my muffin down, headed back to Guest Services and re-checked in my back, re-filled my water bottle, then off I went! This time, I put no pressure on myself for time. It was so nice to slow down and really appreciate my surroundings. As it was really starting to cloud over, the trail also became a lot less crowded so there were times I couldn't see anyone in front or behind me. I could hear the birds and the stream. Was a really awesome experience. I completed it 15 minutes longer but I was able to take my time and enjoy my trip up. I've got to be honest though, I was now "super-wiped" by the end of it. ...now I'm thinking, "How the heck am I ever going to do a triple?" LOL. :) Thanks for reading!

Amazing Race!

The last kilometer. This is where a few racers wiped out due to the steepness coming down.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was heading up to Whistler for the weekend to take on my very first 5 Peaks race... and what a race it was! The views and scenery were absolutely breathtaking! The course was very challenging. Much more so than anticipated. I was about a third of the way through thinking, "Wow. Am I ever glad I chose the Sport distance" - which was approx. only 6k. The "Enduro" was approx 10k. In normal roadside running, these distances would be an easy training run, but in this situation - not so much.

Steep climbs, loose rocks, cliffs, mud, creeks and snow were all areas that we had to get through or around. In previous years, this race has been held at Whistler mountain but because of slow melting snow, it took place on Blackcomb but we were all still able to experience the gondola Peak 2 Peak ride up. Being someone who has been working pretty hard at overcoming her fear of heights, riding in the gondola at 436 metres above the valley floor was quite nerve-racking for me. While my ears were popping, my stomach was flipping. Running at a higher elevation, I think, effected my stomach even more. I was also out of breath a little quicker too. I sort of expected this as I know every time I have to drive through the Rockies, I need to take Gravol.

The course was perfectly marked and the volunteers were awesome. There were 2 aid stations throughout due to the fact there was no where to put any, safely. The trail was very narrow and I had to continuously look behind me to make sure there were no runners wanting to pass. I found it also interesting how a lot of people still chose not to run with water. I had to stop at least 3 times (in addition to the aid tables), to take a few sips. Although, my braces were drying out my mouth, too. The night before, I had to put this dental wax over an area of my brace in order to keep it from rubbing and irritating my lip. During the race, the wax came loose and I inhaled it... then immediately coughed it up and out. Whoever was behind me would have been thoroughly grossed out. lol

After the race, I iced my knees for a little while. If you read my previous post, then you'd know why. lol. Felt like they were swelling into baseballs. Fortunately, with some Advil and ice, they started feeling semi-back-to-normal and was able to go back out and hike for a few more hours. It was sunny and hot out and if you stayed still for a little too long, the bugs would be coming for 'ya. I sprayed myself with "Off!" and I was still harassed by them. However, it was a very small price to pay to be able to enjoy such amazing views. We even saw a marmot! Funny but adorable looking creatures. After our hike, we took the ski lift down and saw a black bear just hanging out. It was so great to see some wildlife despite the fact it was very busy with lots of people over the weekend.

The whole experience was definitely one I'd like to do again. A very well organized race with lots of friendly people and the most scenic course you could imagine!

Bracing Myself!

My beautiful running "war wound".
It's been an interesting week. Last Thursday I had the privilege of getting braces. This has been something I've been waiting to do for two decades, so I'm both happy and relieved that they're finally on. However, when it comes to eating, it's pretty restricting. Pastas, rice and soft food dishes are what I'm limited to at the moment. It also throws a bit of a wrench into my hydration/energy boosts during my long runs. Normally, I use Gatorade or eLoad, but because they are pretty sugary, I have to really watch my intake. Not to mention, the GU gels are very sticky and syrupy and will bury their way between the braces and my teeth. It's not like I'm going to carry a toothbrush on my runs. Would look a little awkward flossing half way through a race, anyway. On the upside, I've been finding my water intake throughout the day has increased and I've been snacking a lot less. Only because I'm too lazy to brush every 15 minutes. Braces are indeed, a great way to be forced to diet!

Yesterday, I went for an easy 10k run and tried a new route. It was beautiful out and everyone I ran by seemed to be smiling and in a cheerful mood. It's amazing how sunshine can lift so many spirits. However, when I was heading back, it happened... figured it would only be a matter of time... a bug flew in my mouth and got stuck in my braces! Yuck! So there I was running with my finger in my mouth, picking out bug guts! So now, I either have to run with my mouth closed which will be hard as I'm a heavy "panter", or I need to just resolve myself to the fact my metal mouth resembles a truck bull bar and bugs are going to die there. Fabulous! lol

Tomorrow, I'll be doing my very first 5 Peaks trail race up at Whistler and I'm very excited about it! I'm always nervous the day before a race and in order to get rid of those "butterflies", I will usually do an easy run or a workout the day before. So this morning at the crack of dawn, I headed out for a light 5k around the neighborhood. Unfortunately, I didn't quite make it a kilometer and I fell like some sort of broken rag doll and busted up my knees and legs in the process! After I let out a very loud expletive, I gathered my damaged self and hobbled my way home hoping like heck that no one saw me. Seeing as it was 6:30am, not a lot of people were out, which was a good thing. Of course, I've since been R.I.C.E.'ing my wounds, but I'm so mad that I could have let this happen - and the day before a race! I must have been still half asleep and should have just stayed in bed for another hour. The last thing I need right now is a leg brace, too! Anyway, it wouldn't have been so bad but I also decided to stay out in the sun for a little too long yesterday without sunscreen and got burned pretty good as well. So I'm suffering right now but I have no one to blame but myself. Which definitely stinks because I'd prefer to to blame other people. lol. So it looks like I'll be stuck going slow in the race tomorrow. Luckily, I signed up for the Sport course (shorter distance) instead of the longer one. I'm not looking forward to seeing how my knees feel in the morning but I can't wait to check out the beautiful scenery! Wish me luck! :-)

Runner's High vs Nature High

View from the gondola at Grouse, yesterday.

Yesterday, I hit the Grind for the 4th time this year. It was a beautiful, cool day for it and I cherish any excuse I can get to sweat outdoors. Generally when I'm running, I'm always listening to music but when I'm at Grouse, there's so many interesting creatures as well as sounds/calls you hear. Half the time, I'm turning down my music to listen. Even though the Grind is an intense hike, I don't want it to end. (Well, maybe eventually. ;-)

Monday, I went to the stinky, stuffy gym where I see ladies play on their iPhones or spend their entire workouts texting or talking on their Blackberries. The only "sounds/calls" I hear is gossip or canned music pumped through the speakers. Ten minutes into my treadmill running regimen, I find myself staring at the clock and wishing it was over.

Then, I've started thinking about how the "Runner's High" actually works. Endorphins can be produced/released after a lengthier amount of time of strenuous exercise (along with other chemicals like epinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine) but is there actually enough to produce this euphoric feeling? Honestly, I've never had the "runner's high" when running on a treadmill. I've also had some miserable out-and-back runs in less than desirable (industrial/pavement loaded) areas. I know how rejuvenated I can be when just doing a light hike through nature and I don't need to have sweat flying off me to feel that, either.

There have been studies on how biodiversity can have a great positive impact on mental wellness of people. So places that are abundant in plants, birds, animals, etc. have a much higher psychological benefit as opposed to staring at four walls all day. Who woulda thunk, eh? So if you've been running on a treadmill and still finding yourself miserable five minutes later, go outside, hug a tree, feed a squirrel and bat off some mosquitoes, you'll probably feel a lot better for it. Thanks for reading! :)

A Beary Nice Run!

Well. Well. Well. Look who finally decided to show up. Yes, I'm talking about you, summer! So relieved you're finally here! Makes running a lot more pleasant. Especially when it's too warm to wear a coat, but too wet to go without. I finally picked up some sunscreen and all I was thinking was, "I better be able to use this."

This week I've been mostly focusing on increasing mileage and experimenting with new ways of hydrating during my longer runs. It's getting pretty warm on the dyke, so I don't particularly want to be passing out from heat exhaustion. Especially since I saw a BEAR there this week! Waking up to one staring at me in the face may be a bit unnerving.

One of the joys of running trail is getting the opportunity of seeing some wildlife. There I was, happily minding my own business, grooving to some M.C. Hammer, (I'm kidding. Well not really, so Shhhh...) and I see a guy on a bike come towards me at about 150 meters away. Behind him was a big black creature that darted across the path into the bushes. My first thought was, "Wow. That guy has a really freakin big dog!" Then as I got closer, and the guy on the bike passed me and his dog wasn't following. I then realized, that ain't no dog. Especially, when I looked down the bank and I saw the bear just hanging out. Black bears will generally, only chase if they are startled and see you running. However, they are rarely aggressive and predatory. Click here for more info on Black Bear running Safety. So do I walk right past him? Uh. No. (I'm crazy, not insane.) I turned around and went down the other trail that runs sort of parallel: De Boville Slough. All of the "green" and marsh surrounding this trail tends to make it a bit more humid in some parts, especially on a warmer day. A few times I was thinking, "Phew! It's like running through a hot tub here." Nevertheless, it's still a nice, easy run and a lot easier on my joints than running on pavement.

As the Frosty 50k is now only six weeks away, I have to make sure that my hydration choice is going to fly well on race day. I've used either Powerade or Gatorade in the past, but I still find I start cramping or seizing with longer, hot runs. I was recommended to try e load endurance formula. The Running Room carries it and rather than buying the larger $50 containers before trying it out first, I got some individual packets in different flavours. I tried the lemon out and it tastes like a cough candy. Kind of gross but it works! I had one of the most comfortable "non-crampy" runs in a long time. I went with 2 hydration belts as well. Yes, I looked really cool (Ha. Ha. Ha. Not.) but they did the job. I do have a Camelbak but it's really hot to wear and it slides off my shoulders. One of my belts carried a large bottle that I had my eload in and the other had 2 small bottles of water which was more than enough for me. Unfortunately, about 5 kilometers in, my water already tasted like it was thrown in the microwave for 2 minutes. The bonus of carrying two belts is that you can carry more with you. It weighs me down a bit but as I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm a bit of a turtle while running anyway, so it doesn't really matter much.

As I don't have a Garmin (yes, I know - I'm totally in the dark ages), I wanted to find another way to track my runs. I do have a Nike+ Sport Watch but it's limited in it's functionality and I have to attach a sensor to my shoe. Instead, I downloaded the free Android app from MapMyRun to my cell phone. After installing it, I turned it on and away I went to use it. When I got back home, I saved it and it automatically uploaded it to the website. It will also post on Facebook as well if you don't turn the share mode off. I didn't really want people knowing where I live, so I did just that. It tracked exactly where I went, the mileage, time and elevation. You can also go to the website and post extras about your run such as how you felt, where the run was (road, trail, treadmill, etc) and the weather. The best part was that it didn't suck my battery dry either. I still want a Garmin, but for now - this works just fine!

Over the next few weeks, I'll be mostly focusing on building mileage and cross training on my "off days" which so far has been swimming, biking and weights. The time on my feet, is by far the most important thing at the moment if I want to be able to get through the ultra next month! I just hope the sun decides to stay and I didn't buy all that sunscreen for nothing. Thanks for reading.